“Winning”

Do you know about this? Of course you’re familiar with the word. But did you know that, thanks to Charlie Sheen, it is the latest catchphrase?

Think of catchphrases like cha-ching, as if, LOL, hubba-hubba; who knows where they come from? You wake up one day and a new buzzword has arrived.

Here’s the latest:

Peg-o-Leg!

Yes, my name is a soon-to-be-viral catchphrase. What does it mean? It’s a joyful announcement of triumph, of great accomplishment and congratulations. Atta Boy… Good For You…. I Did It…Alert The Media…Whoo Hoo… Peg-o-Leg!

You pronounce this with emphasis on the first and third syllables. It will often be accompanied by a hand smack. Not an ordinary high 5, mind you. Peg-o-Leg will ring out with a slap of two hands up high – real high.

I could also see it being used by hep-cats, the accents subdued and the last syllable drawn out: peg-o-leeeeegggg, exchanging a smooth slide on the gimme 5, down low, after a great jam session. Miles Davis may be involved.

Soon I’ll be as famous as the originator of Winning. The difference is I’m not hitching a ride on the Charlie Sheen Express, hurtling toward Crash & Burn Gulch, with the engineer the only one who can’t see the signs flashing by: “Bridge Out Ahead”.

I need your help to get this going. When you’re telling everyone about the account you just landed, when you’ve just sunk a great shot, for every big moment of triumph: Peg-o-Leg! When people ask what it means, give them a condescending, pitying-because-they-are-so-behind-the-times smile, and explain.

It’s like starting The Wave at a football stadium. You feel like a big doofus the first few tries when you’re the only one standing up and waving your arms. Then a few people near you buy in. Now you’ve got a posse. A few more waves, a few more people. Then suddenly, it’s caught on like wildfire and goes all round the stadium.

Months from now, you’ll be walking down the street and see a couple of junior high boys playing hoops. One makes a basket. They’ll bump chests and belt out Peg-o-Leg!

You’ll think, “Hey, I helped start that. I was there for the birth of Peg-o-Leg! I cut the umbilical cord and wiped off the cheesy vernix of Peg-o-Leg! (But I didn’t watch the Peg-o-Leg afterbirth. Yuck.)”

How will you feel? Your heart will swell with pride. You’ll want to jump up and, at the top of your lungs shout… well, you know.